Swimming with Big Fish
by Julie Ryan
“Swimming with Big Fish” is a book that ultimately proved well worth reading. My background in the Navy, as an Engineer, and as a tourist in Russia left me initially confused and even baffled by the main character's rapid sequence of “questionable” decisions, and the initial character development might have been more thorough, but it was good enough, and the rapid plot development and complexity kept me reading.
There is a saying in writing that “bad decisions make good stories,” and in Dennis Bogdanovich, Julie Ryan has given us someone with an improbable capacity for bad decisions coupled with the good luck to survive them. As a result, this book is pretty good.
As noted, the initial pages left me with only a sketchy understanding of Dennis and his reasoning. I was uncertain of the source of the bad decisions, but the writing was good, and the plot quickly thickened.
The catastrophic destruction in London draws together the multiple stories and characters woven into this book, but the destruction itself is not central to the writing. The many supporting characters provide the strength and depth that make that part of the book a rewarding read. In both this and the beginning of the book, I desired more detail and a longer exposition. It was well but sparingly described, and I wanted more.
Dennis and his stubborn resistance to every form of authority provide a connecting thread for other characters and stories throughout the book. As he does this, he grows into his own story and comes into focus. It is, as I said, a good book. It differs somewhat from the faux “heroics” of my usual light reading, but I found it interesting and well done.
There are two more books in the series, and I will be reading them. That is my recommendation for this book.
It is worth the read.
A note for readers of Cyrillic languages:
There is a place where “ ’TaCKN’ with the N back to front” is offered for “TAKCИ.” This occurs only once early in the book, and the book progresses smoothly after it. It is a mundane editing issue but painful if encountered without warning.
by Julie Ryan
“Swimming with Big Fish” is a book that ultimately proved well worth reading. My background in the Navy, as an Engineer, and as a tourist in Russia left me initially confused and even baffled by the main character's rapid sequence of “questionable” decisions, and the initial character development might have been more thorough, but it was good enough, and the rapid plot development and complexity kept me reading.
There is a saying in writing that “bad decisions make good stories,” and in Dennis Bogdanovich, Julie Ryan has given us someone with an improbable capacity for bad decisions coupled with the good luck to survive them. As a result, this book is pretty good.
As noted, the initial pages left me with only a sketchy understanding of Dennis and his reasoning. I was uncertain of the source of the bad decisions, but the writing was good, and the plot quickly thickened.
The catastrophic destruction in London draws together the multiple stories and characters woven into this book, but the destruction itself is not central to the writing. The many supporting characters provide the strength and depth that make that part of the book a rewarding read. In both this and the beginning of the book, I desired more detail and a longer exposition. It was well but sparingly described, and I wanted more.
Dennis and his stubborn resistance to every form of authority provide a connecting thread for other characters and stories throughout the book. As he does this, he grows into his own story and comes into focus. It is, as I said, a good book. It differs somewhat from the faux “heroics” of my usual light reading, but I found it interesting and well done.
There are two more books in the series, and I will be reading them. That is my recommendation for this book.
It is worth the read.
A note for readers of Cyrillic languages:
There is a place where “ ’TaCKN’ with the N back to front” is offered for “TAKCИ.” This occurs only once early in the book, and the book progresses smoothly after it. It is a mundane editing issue but painful if encountered without warning.
Review by BJ Chippindale
Title: Swimming with Big Fish
Author: Julie Ryan
Publisher: Orakei Press,
ISBN: 978-0-473-70954-9
RRP: $40
Available: Fishpond.co.nz
Author: Julie Ryan
Publisher: Orakei Press,
ISBN: 978-0-473-70954-9
RRP: $40
Available: Fishpond.co.nz
RSS Feed
